Riding Cita, Coyle got the better of fellow Irish rider Conor Swail from whom he had acquired the ride on the winning horse last year.

“This is my first show with that horse”, Coyle said afterwards. ” I already knew her from working alongside Conor. Conor did well with her, so we knew she was a good horse.”

Fifteen of the fifty-two starters went clear at the first time of asking, but only eight managed a repeat, with Coyle fastest in 37.051, just bettering the time set earlier by Swail who got Flower home in 37.167 to claim the runner-up position.

Swail commented that he was pleased for Coyle and Cita, and paid tribute to his own newer mount. “She is seriously careful and straightforward to ride. It’s fun having a horse to ride when you know they don’t want to knock the jumps down. It makes the job easier for sure.”

USA’s Catherine Tyree put in a good late effort in the jump-off but had to settle for third when stopping the clock in 37.495 on Bokai.

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Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam and Cian O’Connor also made the jump-off, with Sweetnam finishing on four faults on Cobolt for tenth place, and O’Connor ending on seven faults with Seringat in twelfth place.
Josh Tobin